Simultaneous Intensity and Frequency Control for Optical Waveform Generation using an Acousto Optic Modulator

Abstract

We describe a method for calibrating the response of an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) to enable precise, arbitrary control of the intensity and frequency of optical fields. The method involves characterizing the nonlinear response of the AOM to its input RF drive voltage and applying an iterative calibration/correction algorithm to accurately map input RF amplitude and frequency drive to output optical intensity and frequency shifts. After a few calibration/correction iterations, the calibration of the AOM maintains the optical power within 1$\%$ of a constant target value over relatively wide frequency tuning range ($\approx$100 MHz), with $\sigma =0.2\%$ relative deviation. We apply this calibration method to generate programmable waveforms and optical pulses with tailored intensity and frequency profiles that closely match their target specifications. This technique offers a simple and robust method for applications that require high-accuracy optical modulation.

10 pages, 12 figures